


Steph/Blaine Adventures

by Nerdgirlproblems



Series: Steph/Blaine Adventures [1]
Category: Batgirl (Comics), Glee, Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-28
Updated: 2012-11-28
Packaged: 2017-11-19 19:17:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/576721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerdgirlproblems/pseuds/Nerdgirlproblems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I love Blaine Anderson and I love Stephanie Brown, so I decided to make them pen-pals/ best friends</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Blaine was one of the few kids in his class to get excited when Ms. Henderson told them they’d be getting pen pals. He was getting really good at writing cursive and he loved meeting new people, so this seemed like the best idea. He wasn’t exactly sure where Gotham was, but he’d heard they had a guy there that dressed up like a bat and beat up bad guys. Cooper said he wasn’t real, that he was a publicity stunt or something, but Blaine had already figured that Cooper wasn’t always right. Heck, Cooper made fun of Blaine’s bowties, but Blaine knew that bowties were awesome, so what did he know about the bat guy? Anyway, when Blaine got the first letter from his assigned pen pal, he was so excited he almost ripped the envelope.

“Dear Pen Pal,

Hi, my name is Stephanie Brown, but you can call me Steph if you want. My teacher said I should tell you about myself so that we can be friends. I live in Gotham City, which is ok. I wish I lived in Metropolis with Superman. But we’ve got Batman, and he’s pretty cool. I’m an only child, which stinks sometimes. My favorite color is purple and my favorite food is probably waffles. I love to do gymnastics, I’m really good at it. My teacher said you live in Ohio. There are, like, farms there, right? So, what kind of stuff do you like? Oh, I’m twelve, how old are you?

Your Awesome New Friend,

Steph”

Blaine began his reply right away.

“Dear Steph,

Hi, my name is Blaine Anderson. I don’t really have a nickname, everyone just calls me Blaine. I think it’s really cool that you live in a big city like Gotham. I don’t live on a farm, I just live in a boring suburb of Columbus (it’s the capital of Ohio, which is all pretty boring. But we do have two amusement parks! Roller coasters are awesome). I’ve never been to Gotham, but my dad went on a business trip to Metropolis once. He brought me back a Superman hat. I heard about Batman. My brother Cooper (he moved away to be an actor) says he isn’t real, but Cooper’s not always right. I’m not an only child, I’ve got Cooper, but since he graduated high school I now get to be an only child. I kind of miss him sometimes, but he teased me and picked on me so it’s also nice to be alone now. Purple’s a cool color, and waffles are awesome! I think my favorite food may be cookies, but my mom makes me eat healthy food. She says it’ll help me grow (I’m kinda short). My favorite color is blue. Gymnastics sound cool. Can you do a handstand? I like football, but I’m too small to play. I play the piano, and I also love to sing, I think I’m gonna try out for choir when I get to junior high. What’s your favorite subject in school? I like math and history. Oh, and I just turned eleven.

Your Friend,

Blaine.”

**********************************************

Blaine and Stephanie continued to write to back and forth from then on. Blaine had a few friends at school, but no one he was very close to. He could tell from her letters that Stephanie felt pretty lonely in Gotham, so the slowly became each other’s best friends. Stephanie eventually opened up to Blaine about her dad, how he was in and out of jail and how sometimes she hated him. Blaine told Stephanie about how his dad was always working, and how he always felt like the lesser son compared to Cooper. The letters continued over the years, Stephanie telling Blaine when she learned something new in gymnastics, Blaine regaling Steph with stories of his junior high choir. But when Blaine was 13, things started to change for the friends.

When Blaine had come to the realization that he was gay, Stephanie was the first person he wanted to tell. His last letter from her had mentioned something about her dad being home and up to something, and Blaine had offered his sympathies, but he hadn’t heard back in almost a month. As much as he wanted to share his news with Steph, he grew more and more worried about her when her letter never came. Had something happened to her? He had her home phone number, but he was too scared to call in case one of her parents answered, and neither of them had cell phones yet.

Finally, after four months, the longest wait between letter that either of them had ever had, Blaine got a reply:

“B-

I’m SO SORRY I took so long writing back! I promise that everything here is awesome. Like, seriously awesome. You know how I said Dad was home and back to being Cluemaster? Well, not anymore! And guess who stopped him? BATMAN! Seriously, it was awesome. Anyway, that’s why I didn’t write back, things have been crazy here. I hope everything is happy in Ohio. Did you get that choir solo you wanted?

Love from the happiest girl in Gotham!”

Blaine decided to wait to tell Steph about his being gay. She had enough going on right now, he didn’t want to add anything else. So he simply replied with news about his solo, and things went back to normal for them.

*******************************

The next year Blaine started high school at Westerville High, and he was nervous. Even though he now had a cell phone, and Stephanie’s number was the first on his speed dial after his parents, he still felt a little out of touch from his friend. She always seemed to be busy, and he could use the support. It had been a few months since his revelation about his sexuality, but he hadn’t told his parents yet. He had wanted to tell Steph first, to make sure he had her support. So when school began, he used that as the push he needed, and he wrote her a long, heartfelt letter coming out to her.

He was surprised when, a few days later, she called him up.

“Hey Steph.”

“B! I fight crime as a vigilante and I know Batman!”

Blaine almost dropped the phone. “WHAT?!”

“Oh… I thought we were admitting big awesome secrets… So.. any cute boys in Westerville?”

Blaine smiled at her implicit support, but his mind was still reeling.

“Wait, you’re a what?”

“Vigilante. You know, superhero! Remember when I said that Batman caught my dad?”

“Yeah”

“Well, I helped! I sent Batman and Robin clues. I’ve got this awesome purple cloak thing, and a mask, and I call myself ‘The Spoiler.’ I was gonna stop after Dad got arrested, but it’s so cool to fight crime and stuff. Plus, Batman’s sidekick is totally cute. And I think he likes me.”

“Steph, seriously? Isn’t that dangerous? Like, criminals and stuff can hurt you!”

“Pssh, it’s so fine, B. I’m a gymnast, remember? I’ve totally got this.”

“…. There’s no talking you out of this, is there?”

“Not even Batman could stop me.”

“Just… just be careful, okay Steph? You’re my best friend and I can’t lose you.”

“Promise, B. So, have you told your parents yet?”

******************************************************

When Stephanie found out she was pregnant from her ex, Blaine was the first person she called. He cried with her over the phone, offering to send money to help her, but she said that Robin was going to help her through the pregnancy, and then she was going to give the baby up. Blaine wasn’t so sure he approved of Stephanie’s new boyfriend, since she didn’t even know who he really was, but she really cared about him and Blaine figured superheroes had their own weird ways of doing things.

When Blaine got beaten up after Sadie Hawkins, once he got out of the hospital, Stephanie was the first person he called. She was the one to suggest he try taking up boxing. And one day not long after, she showed up on his doorstep, purple dufflebag in hand.

“Blaine! I saved up all my birthday and Christmas money for a bus here. Since you’ve gotta re-do freshman year at that Dalton place in the fall, I figured I’d give you a new hobby to work on til then.” She held up a pair of boxing gloves. Blaine had never loved her more.

It wasn’t long after that when everything changed once again for the friends. Blaine got an excited phone call from Steph where she screamed into the phone, “I’M ROBIN NOW!” Blaine was happy for her, but he still worried. He tried not to watch the news in Gotham, it always seemed to be nothing but disaster. He was glad that she was at least working directly with Batman now. Maybe she’d be safer. 

Then he came home one day after Warbler practice to a message on his phone.

“Hey B, it’s me. So… Batman fired me. For, like, no reason! But don’t worry, I’m going to prove myself. My stupid ex is not the only teen in Gotham who can do the Robin thing. I’ve got a plan, B. I’ll call you when it’s all done. Love you!”

That was the last he heard from Stephanie. When he heard about the gang war, he tried calling her but her phone was shut off. Then her mother sent him the obituary in the mail. He locked himself in his room for days.

********************************************

It wasn’t long after that when Blaine met a boy on the stairs of Dalton. He wasn’t looking for anyone to replace Steph in his heart, but this boy grew on him over time. As crazy as it was, he’d finally found someone else to open up to. And though he never told Kurt Stephanie’s secrets, he did smile and talk about her four hours when Kurt found the photo Blaine kept on his desk of his grinning blonde friend.

*******************************************

Then one day junior year, almost a year since he lost Steph, he got a letter.

“Blaine,

I am so so so sorry. Please, PLEASE don’t hate me. I was an idiot, I totally fucked up. But… I’m not dead. I’m so sorry for making you think that I was. I got pretty close, though. This friend of Batman’s saved my life. She’s a doctor. She got me out of Gotham when I was in pretty bad condition, and I’ve been recuperating with her. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone that I’m alive. Batman doesn’t even know. But I hated lying to you, B. You’ve always been my best friend, and we’ve always been honest. And… and I think I’m finally going home. Things can finally get back to normal. I’m gonna move back in with my mom. From what I’ve heard, everything in Gotham has changed. But… I hope we’re still okay. I missed you so much, and I’m so sorry that this stupid superhero stuff got in the way. I got a new phone number. If you don’t hate me… could you call me?

I’ll always love you, B.

Steph.”

Blaine immediately ran to his phone.

“….Steph?”

“ohmygawd Blaine?”

He choked back a sob. “You’re… you’re okay.”

“… I am now.”

*******************************************


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine was ecstatic to have Stephanie back in his life. He spent hours on the phone catching her up on the past year, which really meant telling her all about Kurt. He knew she had a lot going on in Gotham, getting back into her life and enrolling at Gotham University, which is why he was surprised to find her waiting on his doorstep one day when he got home from glee.

“B!” She yelled, running into his arms. “Didja miss me?”

“Do you even have to ask?” He hugged her tightly, unable to keep the grin off of his face. “And not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

She pulled back to smile at him. Blaine may not have been the tallest guy at McKinley, but was still just a bit taller than Steph, even if she could take him down easily with all of her Bat-training. 

“I had some time before I start classes, and Batman gave me some money to help me ‘re-acclimate.’ I figured I’d put it to good use and come visit my favorite guy!”

Blaine’s jaw dropped. “You bought plane tickets with Bat-money?”

Steph shook her head at him with a sigh. “Oh B, the things I’ve bought with Bat-money. Now let’s go, I need some caffeine, and your height deficiency tells me you know where all the good coffee shops are around here.”

“Hey! I’m not stunted!”

“It’s ok B, good things come in small packages.”

Blaine smiled despite himself, linking arms with Steph and leading her to his car to drive to the Lima Bean. After all this time, she certainly knew him well.

After Blaine got his usual medium drip, and Steph got herself a seasonal over-sugared and flavored latte, the dynamic duo took a seat to chat.

“So, Blainers, how is the new school?”

“It’s fine. I miss the guys from Dalton, but Kurt’s friends are cool. And I get to see him everyday again.”

Steph waggled her eyebrows at Blaine, who ducked his head and blushed.

“Oh, B, you’ve got it bad! And when do I get to meet this perfect guy? He needs to get Best Friend Approval. I’ve had enough experience with asshole and losers, I can spot one a mile away.”

“Don’t worry Steph, Kurt’s not a jerk. Have some faith in me!”

Steph grabbed Blaine’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Of course I have faith in you, Blaine! I have, like, Bat-levels of trust in you. But I’ve severely neglected my BFF duties while I was galavanting across Africa and making you cry over my hypothetical corpse.”

Blaine turned his hand to link his fingers with Steph’s. He smiled sadly at her, but didn’t want to dwell on anything too painful.

“Y’know, sometimes I forget how crazy your life is. I mean, fake deaths and running away to Africa?”

Steph scoffed. “Whatever, isn’t your new school some kind of nuthouse? Didn’t the cheerleading coach try to shoot a kid out of a cannon?”

“Steph, you wore a cape and a mask and fought villains based on classic literary characters.”

“Hey, that’s only, like, one or two guys. And didn’t you get your friends to help you sing a song about sex toys in a GAP?”

“Didn’t you date a guy who named himself after a bird?”

“Didn’t you sing in an a cappella group that named itself after a bird?”

They both stopped for a beat, but then couldn’t hold in their laughter anymore. 

“Ok,” Stephanie conceded, wiping tears from her eyes and trying to get them to quiet down as their laughing was getting them strange looks, “so our lives are weird. Now let’s get back to this hottie you transferred schools for!”

The friends were soon interrupted by a lyrical voice.

“Blaine? Who’s your friend?”

They both turned, Steph looking curious and Blaine’s face breaking into a grin and heart-eyes.

“Kurt!” he moved over, grabbing a chair and pulling it up next to his for Kurt to sit. “What are you doing here?”

“Just getting some post-glee caffeine before heading home to work on that English paper. So, who’s this? Wait…”

Stephanie smiled expectantly at Kurt, who took in her long blonde ponytail and her signature purple t-shirt. He gasped as hand flew up to his mouth.

“Ohmygosh, are you Stephanie? Blaine’s pen pal?”

“Ah, my reputation precedes me! Yes, I am Blaine’s best lady-friend. And your reputation precedes you, Mr. Perfect Boyfriend. Blaine just can’t shut up about you.” She winked at her friend, who blushed in response.

Kurt looked over at Blaine with an expression that could only be called a “love look.”

“Well, he’s pretty perfect, too. I guess we both lucked out.”

As the boys gazed at each other, Steph smiled to herself, glad that her oldest friend and found someone.

“Seriously, you guys are so sweet I’ve got a toothache.”

Blaine laughed. “Sorry, Steph. And, I hope it’s ok, I explained to Kurt your whole… situation.”

“Situation?”

“Yeah, you know, since last year I told him all about my best friend sort of dying, I had to explain about you coming back. You know, the whole witness protection thing. I hope that’s okay.” He gave her a pointed look, but he needn’t worry. Steph had caught on.

“Oh, no prob, B. Everything’s cool and I’m back home now, so we’re all good.”

“Blaine says you’re starting at Gotham U.” Kurt piped up. “College! That must be exciting.”

“Sure, if you think waking up at the butt crack of dawn to sit in a boring lecture is exciting. But yeah, hopefully it’ll be good.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Blaine interjected. “It’ll be nice and normal. And safe.” He emphasized the last word.

“Yeah… Actually, B, remember my friend Cass?” Blaine, as Stephanie’s best friend, had been privy to a small amount of information about the Bat team. He didn’t know anyone’s secret identities, nor would he ever ask. But Steph did tell him stories about her interactions with them, and he knew Cass was Batgirl and Tim was Steph’s ex-boyfriend Robin.

“Yeah, I remember.” He turned to Kurt, “Steph and Cass were sort of like… Britt and Santana, circa last year.”

Kurt’s eyes widened with understanding. “Oh..”

Steph looked back and forth between them. “Am I missing a reference here?”

“Yup. So anyway, you were saying about Cass?”

“Well, she’s… moving to a new job, and she offered me her old one.”

Blaine’s eyebrows rose. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“But… I mean.. I thought you were going to take some time off, y’know, to focus on school. With everything that happened at your old job and all.”

“I was, but I’m no good at being retired. And… Cass’ old boss is gone now, they …. replaced him from within the group. I figured my expertise could be used.”

“Expertise?”

“Hey, I was trained by the best, B.”

Kurt was a little lost in the conversation. “What’s the job, Stephanie?”

“Oh, it’s pretty boring, actually. Some corporate stuff. I’d be pretty low-level, but more independent than my old job.”

“Is that smart?” Blaine interjected. “Working so independently?”

“I’ll be fine, B.”

“Will you?”

The duo stared at each other across the table, Stephanie looking defiant while Blaine looked worried. Finally, Steph sighed and her expression softened.

“Don’t give me those puppy dog eyes, Blaine. I promise I’ll be careful.”

He looked down at his hands. “That’s what you said last time.”

She reached over, clutching his hand in hers. “And I was fine. I am fine. And this time, I’ll be better.”

Neither noticed that Kurt had gotten up during their conversation until he returned, a plate of biscotti in hand.

“Here, I figured this conversation, for whatever reason, could use some cookies.”

Steph smiled as she grabbed a biscotti. “I approve. This one’s a keeper, Blaine.”

Blaine turned to Kurt with a wink. “Don’t I know it.”

****************************************

When Stephanie finally had to go home, the friends vowed to keep in constant contact.

Blaine called Steph to tell her about getting the lead in West Side Story, and had Artie tape one of the show so she could see it.

Steph skyped Blaine to show him her new Batgirl outfit and all of the cool new gadgets that Oracle had given her. 

“See B, I’m totally safe with my utility belt full of goodies. Plus I’ve got O in my ear for every fight, so stop worrying Mama Blaine!”

The morning after his and Kurt’s first time, once Kurt had gone, of course, the first thing Blaine did was call Stephanie.

“Steph… ohmygod Steph!”

“B, you ok? Did something happen?”

“Only the greatest night of my life!”

“…. you had sex, didn’t you? Tell me all about it! Oh man, and Kurt’s hips! Seriously, tell me ALL ABOUT IT!”

Blaine got updates on Steph’s balance between college and crime fighting, and she was kept in the loop about all the drama of McKinley.

************************

“Blaine, I kissed Kara!”

“Wait.. Kara like Supergirl Kara? I knew you were going to take your Super-fetish too far one day. Does she know you used to dress up as her cousin for Halloween every year?”

“Shut up. No, but seriously. We had this really weird team up involving a bunch of Draculas and then she slept over and then… it just happened.”

“Are you guys a thing now? And we’re not done with the story about the Draculas.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so? I think we’re just… casual. I like hanging out with her and stuff, but I think we both have way too much going on right now.”

“Ok. Plus, you keep flirting with that detective guy.”

“Shut up, I am not telling you anything anymore.”

“No, you need to tell me about the Draculas! I never get to watch vampire movies anymore, Kurt hates them. The closest he’ll get is Twilight and that’s just for Taylor Lautner.”

“Jealous?”

“… yes.”

*************************************

“Merry Christmas, Blainers! Having a nice holiday with your ‘best friend and holiday roommate’?”

“Wait, how did you know about that?”

“B, please. I have access to Batman’s supercomputer. Of course I can get a hold of a local Ohio Christmas special. You looked quite dapper in that suit. But next time you and Kurt have people over to your classy chalet, I am so on that invite list.”

“Obviously!”

*****************************

“and then Cooper showed up. It was horrible.”

“Horrible? B, Cooper’s not gonna win any Best Brother awards, but it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Steph, his ego could barely fit in the hallway, and Kurt’s totally in love with him. Everyone is in love with him! He did this stupid ‘Acting Masterclass’ and was telling everyone the worst advice and they were eating it up!”

“Hey, I’ve seen pictures of the elder Anderson, and your family has some pretty awesome genes.”

“… he made me do the Duran Duran mash-up…”

“The one he used to make you do for the neighbors?”

“Yeah.”

“….. did someone film it?”

******************************

“OHMYGAWD STEPH WE HAVE THE BEST ASSIGNMENT EVER THIS WEEK!”

“Whoa, Blaine, dial it down. I was up all night protecting Gotham and writing a Western Civ paper. What’s up?”

“We have the BEST assignment in glee club this week!”

“Oh no, you sound like a puppy on a sugar high. It’s disco, isn’t it?”

“YES!!!!!!!!”

***********************************

“Blaine? You okay?”

“….. no…”

“Look, Kurt texted me. He told me what happened. Do you need to talk?”

“…. he texted you?”

“Yeah. He’s being a bit defensive, but he’s worried about you. Apparently he sang to you and it didn’t work? Does that happen a lot in your life? People sing about their romantic problems?”

“Yeah. Pretty much every week.”

“Oh. Well, yeah, he texted me. Which means it must be something big. Blaine… you know he loves you.”

“I know.”

“And he would never cheat on you.”

“…. I know.”

“So what’s really hurting you, B?”

“…. It’s just… he’s going to New York next year and… and I’m gonna be alone.”

“Anderson, listen to me. You are NEVER going to be alone. Got it?”

“… thanks, Brown.”

“I love you, B”

“Love you too, Steph.”

********************************

“Blaine, what the heck is this picture you just texted me?”

“Like it? I have a lot of free time now that Kurt’s in New York, so I joined some clubs!”

“What the hell kind of club is this?!”

“Superhero Sidekicks Club. So I dressed as my favorite sidekick!”

“You know that’s not a standard issue Robin costume you’ve got on.”

“Heh, I know. But check out the ears. I wasn’t Robin. I could never be a better Robin than you.”

“Yeah, tell that to the new guy. But anyway, who are you supposed to be?”

“Well, Batman has all these sidekicks, I figured Catwoman could use one. So I was Kitten Boy!”

“No freaking way! Oh man, I need to text her. Maybe O can forward the pic…”

“Wait… Steph… you know Catwoman?”

“Sure. We’ve met. She’s pretty cool. She… she’s done me some favors.”

“STEPHANIE BROWN DO NOT SEND THAT PICTURE TO CATWOMAN!”

“Sorry, can’t hear you, I’m sending this to every vigilante I know!”

“STEPH NO!”

***************************


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine had been staring at the phone in his hands for almost an hour. He’d debated with himself whether he should call or not, his fingers hovering over the touch screen, getting as far as hitting his contacts but not quite able to hit ‘send.’ What finally got him over the edge was the realization that he physically needed to hear the voice of someone who cared about him. 

“Hey Blaine! I mean, Hey Mr. President! Sorry I haven’t been around this week, there was this big drug bust thing, and I needed to give Bats some back-up since Nightwing was undercover.. anyway, doesn’t matter. Congrats on the election!”

“… thanks Steph.”

“B? You okay? You kinda sound like someone kicked your puppy…”

“Yeah, I’m…. no. I’m really not okay….”

“Blaine, what happened? Are you hurt? Is Kurt okay?”

Blaine chocked back a sob.

“He’s… he’s fine, I guess. Oh god…”

“Blaine, you’re freaking me out here. Seriously, I’ve stared down the Joker but you’re scaring me right now. What happened?”

“I… Steph, I did something terrible.”

“… Blaine?” She literally couldn’t conceive of Blaine doing something remotely bad, let alone something to cause this kind of response.

“I… I was with someone. Someone who’s not Kurt. I…”

Steph was shocked. “You cheated?” she practically hissed.

Blaine sobbed into the phone.

“Blaine. Blaine! Blaine, sweetie, you need to tell me what happened. You need to explain, ok?”

“What’s there to explain? I fucked up, Steph. I ruined everything! Oh god…”

“Blaine, does Kurt know? Have you talked to Kurt?”

“…no. He’s… he’s been really busy with his new internship and… Steph, I don’t know how to tell him.”

“Blaine, you really need to give me a clue here. What exactly happened?”

“I just… I’m happy for him, you know I am. He’s doing so great in New York and I’m so glad, but… we haven’t talked in… in forever. He doesn’t answer when I call, or he doesn’t have time to talk for more than a minute. I just miss him so much and… and he’s gone and I’m still here and… and there isn’t anyone. There’s no one I can…  _fuck_ , Steph, I felt so fucking alone and then I just felt numb and I just… I just needed to feel something, to feel like someone gave a shit, to do  _something_  because I was losing him and I was losing me and now I… I’ve lost everything.”

Blaine had worked himself up over his monologue and now Stephanie could hear him breathing heavily over the phone before he seemed to break again with a small sob. She knew it was beyond serious when she heard him curse: Blaine Anderson was a gentleman, he was controlled with his words, he never let himself go like that. But obviously shit had hit the fan in Blaine’s life.

“Oh B, I am so so sorry. You know you’re never alone, ok? I’m  _always_  here for you, you know that, you know I love you no matter what.”

“I know, Steph, but c’mon. You’ve got this big important life, you save lives and you do all these things, I just can’t come to you with my shitty high school problems when you put your life on the line every night-“

“BLAINE ANDERSON! You listen to me, alright? There is  _nothing_  more important to me than you. You’re my best friend. You were here before Batgirl, before Robin, before Spoiler, and you’ll be here long after I’m too old and decrepit to wear the cape. You’re the only guy I love, B, as sad as that is for my love life. I would face down Batman for you in a heartbeat, ok? Hell, I’d… fuck… I’d face down Black Mask again for you.”

They both were quiet for a moment, both trying to get themselves together, but tears were flowing on both ends of the phone.

“Blaine.. Look, B, you know you fucked up. But everyone messes up, ok? That’s what being human means. Hell, Batman messes up all the time, and he’s Batman! But you love Kurt, everyone knows that, and he loves you. You need to tell him. And then.. well, we’ll see what happens then. But don’t hurt yourself over this, okay B? If not for you, then for me. While I’m facing down losers in alleyways and not getting enough sleep before my 9am classes, I need to know that my best friend is having at least a decent time in Snoresville, Ohio. And seriously, promise me that when you need to talk to someone that you’ll call me. Got it?”

“Steph…”

“Promise me, Blainers! Call me, call Cooper, call that Mike guy. Go hang out more with that weird running mate of yours. Just please, please, promise me you won’t let yourself hurt like that again, B.”

“… ok, Steph.”

“… You gonna call Kurt now?”

“I think… I think this is something I need to tell him in person.”

“You know, I think Batman Inc. has some frequent flier miles you can use.”

“Steph…”

“You’re doing this, Blaine. I’m texting Oracle right now to book the tickets.”

“… I love you Stephanie.”

“I love you too, Blaine.”

*****************************************************

Stephanie spent the next few days constantly worried about Blaine. She wanted to give him his space, but also wanted to make sure he knew she was still there. She tried sending him a few positive texts, but she stopped short of sending him “courage.” She’d heard the stories of when he met Kurt over and over, and figured that reminder wouldn’t be well received.

Finally, she got a text from Blaine:

**He won’t speak to me. I’m going home.**

She quickly responded:

**Do you want to talk?**

**No. I want it to stop.**

She didn’t even ask what he meant by “it.” At this point, she figured he meant everything.

“Alright, Brown.” She said to herself. “It’s time for Batgirl to save the day. Again.”

*******************************************************


	4. Steph/Blaine Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a plot bunny about Steph’s reaction to Blaine getting slushied and Tori really wanted to read it, so here we go. There’s no Blaine, but some Kurt/Steph interaction and a lot of Steph being a Batass (get it? like badass?)

“Y’ello?”

”..Stephanie?”

“Kurt? Is that you? Why are you calling me on Blaine’s phone?”

“Something happened…” Something was off with Kurt’s voice. He sounded tired and it was too high and strained, like he was on the edge of crying. It didn’t take a girl trained by the World’s Greatest Detective to figure out that something bad had happened to Blaine.

“Is Blaine okay? Is he hurt?”

“He.. he will be okay.”

“Kurt, you need to tell me right now exactly what happened, okay? I know it’s hard, but I need to know.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “Yeah, that’s why I called you. Blaine, he… He’s going to be okay, but he’s in the hospital.”

Stephanie sucked in a breath, trying to remain calm.

“He… Did he tell you about the whole Michael Jackson thing?”

“When we talked a couple of days ago he was on this big MJ kick. He said you wanted to sing it at your next competition? But he said that he let that slip to some of your competition and things were getting dramatic, as usual. Then I got a text from his last night about ‘going to do something awesome and MJ, can’t wait to fill you in.’ What was that about? Did he get hurt there?”

“Yes. It was… I don’t know, some weird West Side Story-esque dance-off with the Warblers.”

“Okay, there is so much weird about that sentence, I don’t even know where to start.”

“Anyway, Sebastian was there-“

“That guy who keeps flirting with Blaine?”

“Yes” Steph could hear Kurt’s teeth grinding over the phone. He was obviously not a big Sebastian fan. He started talking faster and faster as he explained what had gone down. ”And he.. he had this slushie… you know kids at our school get slushied by the jocks… and he threw it at me but Blaine jumped in the way and it hit him in the face, but it wasn’t a normal slushie, Sebastian had done something to it, and Blaine was screaming and in pain and he’s in surgery now and the doctor said he’ll be okay but Steph it was just… oh god…”

Steph was in shock. She wasn’t surprised to hear that Blaine had taken a slushie for Kurt. That kid had Bat-levels of loyalty and bravery. She’d been telling him for years that he was the perfect Hufflepuff, but of course Blaine was never as into Harry Potter as she was. However, she never expected  _this_  kind of thing would happen to Blaine. Sure, she constantly worried about him after the Sadie Hawkins thing, but she’d gotten him to take up boxing and knew he could defend himself. But to be attacked at a freakin’ dance-off? By another gay choir kid, over something as stupid as a song? But Steph couldn’t let herself get too angry now, she could hear Kurt’s pain over the phone and it triggered her protective instincts.

“Kurt, it’s going to be okay. Just breath, alright? In and out….. good. Now listen: thank you for calling me. Seriously, if I hadn’t heard from Blaine for a few days, of course I’d freak out, and I’d be pissed if I’d been left out of the loop. But you said it yourself, the doctor said he’ll be fine, right?”

“Yes.” Kurt seemed a bit calmer now. “Something with his right eye. He should… he should be able to see again, that’s what they said.”

Stephanie tried not to focus on the word ‘should.’ This was Blaine, he was a fighter, and she was going to be positive about this until she had a reason not to be. Kurt needed that. So did Blaine.

“Listen, Kurt, is someone there with you?”

“My dad. He went to get me some coffee. Blaine’s parents were here, they were talking to the doctor, I’m not sure where they went…”

“That’s fine. Blaine doesn’t shut up about how awesome your dad is, y’know?”

She could practically hear Kurt’s smile. “Yes, I know.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go, but I’m seriously glad you called me. Go, I don’t know, hug your dad, and let me know when you get any news.”

Kurt laughed a bit. “Alright. Thanks, Stephanie.”

“No problem, K. We’re Blaine’s favorite people, we gotta stick together.”

By the time Steph hung up the phone with Kurt, she was already making plans.

“Hey Babs? Can we get Nightwing to cover my patrols, or maybe call in Cass? I need a couple days off and a plane ticket to Ohio. It’s a family emergency.”

*************************************************

Kurt kept Steph updated through texts, so by the time she landed in Ohio she had all the information. The slushie had been tampered with rock salt, as insane as that was, but it seemed like the psycho that did it was going to get away with it.

Not if Batgirl had anything to say about it. 

It was time for some good old fashioned Gotham justice in Westerville.

************************************************

Even though she had a surprising number of friends in the 1%, Steph couldn’t help but dislike this Sebastian kid even more when she got to his massive house outside of Columbus.

Of course the Smythe’s had a top of the line security system, but it only took Stephanie moments to bypass it. And lucky for her, Sebastian room was on the third floor. And he had a large bay window…

************

“Up and at ‘em, Seb”

Steph put on her best Bat-voice, relishing in the obvious fear and confusion on Sebastian’s face as she dragged him out of bed, pulled him to the window, and held him over the window ledge. She liked to think of it as a Bat Classic.

“WHAT THE FUCK? WHO ARE YOU?”

“What, don’t recognize the outfit? I figured even a loser from small town Ohio knew about the Big Bad Bat.”

“What?”

“The name’s Batgirl, Smythe, and I’m here to see about some justice.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Put me down, you crazy bitch, or else!”

“Or else what? You gonna sing me to death, choir boy? Are you gonna call your lawyer daddy to sue me? Good luck with that. I’m a Bat, kiddo, we’re like the wind. And you made the mistake of pissing us off.”

“Wha… what are y-you talking about?”

“Blaine Anderson. Kurt Hummel. You, and a tampered slushie. Seriously, who the hell throws a rock salt slushie in someone’s face? Was that your attempt at being poetic? Because let me tell ya, it was pretty lame.”

“Lame… but effective” Sebastian choked out. 

“Wow, do you have no sense of self preservation? Listen, punk, you want to make it to life beyond your polyester blazer? Then lay. off. Hummel. and. Anderon.”

“What’s Anderson to you?”

Steph smiled. This was going to be the fun part.

“Aw, over your crush already? For a guy who wanted in Anderson’s pants, you’re pretty quick to insult him.” She gripped Sebastian tighter and pushed him further out the window to stop him from answering.

“Your daddy may be a big shot in Ohio, but you know who Kurt’s old man is?  _Congressman_  Hummel? See, he’s got some big fans here in Ohio. And in DC. And in  _Gotham_. So next time you think about showing your smarmy face in Lima or messing with anyone the congressman cares about, just remember my little visit. Because Bats don’t do three strikes, Sebbie.”

She pulled Sebastian inside and lifted him up into the air.

“Straighten up and fly right, Seb. Metaphorically speaking, of course. And don’t make me come back. I’m not as nice the second time.”

She threw him back towards his bed, then turned and jumped from the window, using her grappling line from her arrival to swing back the ground. 

She wished she could’ve taken a picture of Sebastian terrified face before she left that she could show to Blaine and Kurt, but it was best that they didn’t know about this little encounter.

For now, she needed to change and get to Lima. She had a best friend to visit, one who apparently was hopped up on pain meds and sporting an eye-patch. Maybe she could get him to sing A Pirate’s Life for Me?


	5. Chapter 5

Steph was never one to just sit and let things happen. From a young age she knew that if you wanted something done, you couldn’t wait for someone to do it for you. When the police weren’t able to stop her dad, she put on a mask and helped Batman stop him. When her ex couldn’t be Robin anymore, she made her own suit and offered her assistance. When she returned from Africa and found a Gotham without a Batgirl, she got Cass’ old costume and set out to work. When there was a problem, Stephanie Brown didn’t wait and hope for some hero to save the day. She became her own hero.

So when Blaine’s world was crashing around him, she wasn’t going to just sit and watch her best friend suffer.Blaine was one of the strongest people that she knew. No matter what happened to him, he was always optimistic and looked on the bright side. But everyone hit low points in their life, it didn’t make Blaine weaker that he needed help. Even if he wasn’t in the right mind to ask for help, Steph couldn’t stop herself from giving it.

Like any good Bat, first she made a plan of action. Then she got to work.

***********************************************

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Mike?”

“Yes, who’s this?”

“i’m a friend of Blaine’s, my name’s Stephanie…”

“Oh! Right, Blaine’s friend from Gotham. He talks about you all the time. What’s up?”

“It’s about Blaine. When’s the last time you talked to him?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure. I’ve been really busy with school and everything. Maybe a few weeks ago? I saw about the election on Facebook and sent him a congratulations text, but I don’t know if I got a response. Why, did something happen?”

“Yeah. It’s not anyone’s fault or anything, but he’s been feeling really alone lately since all of his friends graduated. And he and Kurt are on the rocks. Like, it’s pretty bad between them. It’s not my place to tell you everything, but I know he could use his friends right now.”

“Oh man. I had no idea. Is he okay?”

“Not really. You should probably give him a call.”

“Right, of course. Thanks, Stephanie. You’re a really great friend.”

“No problem. I know Blaine would drop everything to help any of us.”

Mike laughed. “You’re right about that. Hey, how did you get my number? Did Blaine give it to you?”

“Um… Whoops, I gotta go, Mike. Class. Um, it was great talking to you! Bye!”

***********************************

“You’re go for Cooper.”

“Cooper? It’s Stephanie Brown, I’m friend’s with your brother?”

“Stephanie… Oh yeah, Blainey’s little pen pal! You live in… Jersey?”

“Gotham.”

“Right, right. To what do I owe the pleasure? Thinking about coming out to LA and you need some advice from the master?”

“Um… no. Actually I’m calling about Blaine. When’s the last time you talked to him?”

“I’m not sure. He told me about his big send-off for Kurt a couple months ago. I told him that I wasn’t sure about his song choice and that he could’ve done something with more pizzaz than the cup thing, but I liked the jump rope. I’ve always tried to tell him that you need to go big or go home with your art. I had a callback the other day and did I make the small choices? No way! I-“

“Cooper! Not that I don’t  _love_  hearing about your Hollywood exploits, we were talking about Blaine?”

“Right, I was getting to that. I talked to him last week, I think. He texted me about running for class president and I tried to give him some advice. I’m sure he took it since he won the election.”

“Obviously.”

“Anyway, why do you ask?”

“Because honestly, Blaine’s not doing so great.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“He’s feeling pretty alone right now, and he and Kurt aren’t talking.”

“What? No way. My little brother worships Kurt, they’re sickeningly in love.”

“Both of those are true, but they still aren’t talking. There’s a lot of trouble in paradise right now.”

“Shit. …Blaine doesn’t know you’re calling me, does he?”

“Nope. But I can’t get to him right now, and I don’t think he has anyone in Lima he can talk to. I know you guys have been working on your relationship.”

“We have been. I mean, I’ve been trying. I love that little guy.”

“You’re not the only one, Coop.”

“Okay. I think I can take some time off from auditioning and go back to Ohio…”

“Seriously? That’s perfect! Blaine really needs his big brother right now.”

“Say no more, blondie. Cooper Anderson is on the case.”

“Cooper… please be sensitive…”

“When am I ever not sensitive?”

“…..”

“Hey!”

“I gotta go, Cooper. This is my cell, text me when you get your flight.”

“Thanks, Stephanie.”

“No problemo.”

**************************************

Steps 1 and 2 were complete, but now for the hardest part of her mission. Steph wasn’t entirely sure this was a good idea, but she wasn’t ready to give up either. Besides, she’d done a lot of stupid things in her life, and since she assumed this wouldn’t end with a city-wide gang war, it couldn’t end that badly.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the loft door.

“Rachel, I swear if you forgot your keys  _again_! Anyway, it’s early, can’t you go one date with Brody without having drama?”

The door opened and there stood Kurt, his face shocked as he realized who had knocked. Steph smiled at him, but after the surprised wore off, his expression grew cold.

“Stephanie. What are you doing here?”

“Hiya, Kurt! Can I come in?”

“Answer the question, Stephanie?”

Steph sighed. “Seriously, I just want to talk. Can I come in?”

Kurt didn’t move. 

“Kurt, please. Blaine doesn’t know I’m here, I just wanted to come talk to you.”

She tried her best puppy dog eyes, but considering Kurt had dated Blaine “Doe-Eyed” Anderson for a year and a half, he could probably withstand her pout. To her surprise, however, he took a step back.

“Fine. Come in.”

Steph followed Kurt inside and over to the make-shift living room within the one-room apartment. They each took a seat, their silence the epitome of awkward.

“What did you want to talk about?” Kurt was sitting ram-rod straight in his chair, his eyes on Steph, showing no emotion. She’d heard Blaine talk about his “ice queen” persona, but she never thought she’d face it head on like this. Of course, she’d faced down Batman, so she wasn’t intimidated. Much.

“Look, Kurt, I know what happened. And I’m not here to tell you to go back to Blaine or to forget what he did, or to make apologies for him.”

“So why are you here?”

“Honestly? To make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did.”

That was a surprise to Kurt. He peaked one eyebrow in curiosity.

“And what mistake is that?”

“…How much has Blaine told you about me? Like, my life?”

“Not too much. He says you’re a pretty private person.”

“That’s true. So you wouldn’t know this, but a few years ago I was in a pretty serious relationship with a guy. I don’t know if I really thought we’d be together forever or anything, but I was in love with him. He stood by me at the beginning when I was pregnant with my ex’s kid, he helped when I gave her up for adoption. He was there through all the crap with my dad. He was kind of the perfect boyfriend. Except that he wasn’t.”

“Steph, I really don’t think-“

“Please, Kurt, I gotta say this.”

He sighed. “Fine.”

“Anyway, we loved each other, but we were young. Younger than you and Blaine, though not by much. The problem was that we thought we were so mature. We loved each other, sure, but we didn’t trust each other. There were… a lot of secrets between us. For good reason, but still secrets.” Kurt looked confused. “I know that’s not how you and Blaine operated. He told me you guys were always honest with each other. But my life is… complicated. I was as honest as possible with my boyfriend but he couldn’t… there were a lot of things he couldn’t tell me. And that made it pretty hard for me to trust him. I mean, I trusted him with my life, but not… well, honestly, not my heart.”

“That doesn’t sound like the best relationship.”

Steph laughed. “Nope, it probably wasn’t. But let’s face it, none of my relationships have been stellar. At least this guy was a decent person. Hell, he was practically a saint. But we lived completely different lives. We were always there for each other, but it was so easy for us to get out of touch. And then… one day I went to see him and I saw him flirting with this other girl. And then she kissed him. And I was pissed.”

“Obviously.” Kurt’s response was terse.

“I ended it. Not well, though. I didn’t even really talk to him after that. I didn’t answer his calls or anything. And that… that was my mistake.”

“How was it your mistake? He cheated on you, he’s the one who messed up. Not you!”

“You’re right. But Kurt… it’s always more complicated than that. In my case… and I didn’t find any of this out until later… he didn’t exactly cheat. This girl I saw? She kissed him without his consent. And he immediately told her that he was taken. And since I wouldn’t talk to him, I never knew.”

“So then you have no right to give advice on my situation!”

“Kurt! I do! Because whatever happened, I still saw it as him cheating. And let’s face it, he’d let her flirt and he’d flirted back. He… well, he finally admits it now. He told people he had a girlfriend, but they’d never met me. Remember, we led completely different lives. But that’s not the point.”

“What is you point, Stephanie?” Kurt was visible angry with her now.

“Look, I… ok, he made a mistake. So did Blaine. Blaine fucked up. But I made a mistake, too. I didn’t talk to him, I didn’t work anything out. I didn’t let him apologize or give either of us a chance to move on or get closure. And to make things worse, I held on to my anger. I made… a made a lot of mistakes after that, to try and prove myself. To prove that I was better than him, or that I didn’t need him. And one rash decision led to another, and another, and then… well, I literally almost died.”

Kurt froze, his eyes wide. 

“Look, Kurt, obviously my situation was different than yours. For one thing, I never felt like I could fully trust my ex, whereas you trusted Blaine with your whole heart. But he and I were never going to be forever. He never really got me and I never really got him. And when we each made our dumb mistakes, we never talked it out. That’s what Blaine taught me about relationships: the key is communication. Because people fuck up. People are pretty fucking stupid. But then they learn from it. And then they do better. And if they couldn’t, I wouldn’t be here. I got a second chance after all of that. And I used it. My ex and I are friends again, and this time we’re honest with each other.

Listen, I know it hurts, and it sucks, and he seriously hurt you. He knows it, too. He massively screwed up. But he came clean immediately.”

Kurt looked like he was about to respond, but Steph put up a hand to stop him.

“Like I said, I’m not telling you to take him back or to forgive him. What I am telling you is to talk to him. You’re hurting and he’s hurting. If you let yourselves stay like this, you’re both gonna make shitty decisions. But if you talk it out, whatever the outcome, if you become friends or stop talking forever or get back together, you’ll both be better off. Talk to him, let it all out, let him talk. Trust me, being the strong silent type does not lend itself to having healthy relationships.”

Steph stood up and turned towards the door.

“Wait! You’re just leaving?”

She turned back to Kurt. “I said what I came to say. Now you gotta decide what you’re gonna do.”

Kurt nodded. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”

She smiled. “That’s all I ask.”

“Hey Steph? What was his name? You’re ex?”

Steph looked thoughtful for a moment, and seemed to come to a decision before responding. “Well… his name was Robin.”

“Robin?” Kurt cocked his head to the side. “Like….?”

Steph unbuttoned her peacoat and pulled the top flap aside, a grin on her face as she revealed half of a bright yellow Batsymbol. Kurt’s eyes grew even wider and his mouth dropped open. Steph pulled closed her coat back up and gave Kurt a wink.

“Good talk, Kurt. Though maybe we could keep all of this between you and me.”

**************************************************

Steph was nervous when she got back home to Gotham. Had she done the right thing, or did her talk with Kurt do nothing? She knew from texts updates that Mike had been talking to Blaine everyday and that Cooper was already back in Ohio. As she was getting ready to go out on patrol, her phone buzzed.

**From Blaine: What did you do?**

**To Blaine: I have no idea what ur talking bout B.**

The next morning when she woke up for class, there were two new messages on her phone.

**From Blaine: Call me, Steph. I think we’re gonna be ok.**

**From Kurt: Thanks, Steph. You’re my hero <3 And we gotta talk about your signature color. Purple? Really?**

Stephanie grinned as she typed her reply.

**To Kurt: No, purple would be stupid. It’s Eggplant.**

**To Blaine: You were always gonna be ok, B. Maybe now you’re gonna be happy.**

***********************************


End file.
